No Rest For The Nerdy – Vol. 2

Just because it's the weekend doesn't mean we're done doing our job.

We never stop playing video games. That’s a fact. Even after we call it quits for the week we still look forward to getting home and continuing our digital conquests. It’s our life blood. So we thought it would be fun to share with everyone what our gaming intentions are for the weekend so you guys can get a sense of what we’re playing and enjoying on a weekly, non-formal basis. Yes, this concept isn’t new to the internet. But hey, we kind of want to join in on the fun. Can you blame us for that? So without further ado, here’s what we’re playing this weekend that will forfeit any semblance of rest…

Alex Keen: So, I defeated Yar’s Revenge last weekend with a score of 6,555,689. Take that Michael D. McCarthy (aka current Yar’s Revenge record holder). Perhaps you’d like to taste some of my hot sauce? Of course, it’s made in America!

In other news, I wrapped up my run for the World Cup last weekend and now I’m hoping to add on some hours to my 10 hours of Darksiders. If you haven’t tried the game out, I highly recommend it. It has a fun and dramatic storyline, mixed with some tight game controls, God of War-style combat, and many challenging puzzles. I picked it up used for only $15 and I can’t put it down.

For my other free time gaming, I’ll be playing some more of Ubisoft’s Zeit^2. This brand new shoot ‘em up blazed its way onto XBLA. I’m not a big shoot ‘em up aficionado, but so far it’s been nice and slow paced. The devs are smart enough to not make the game too difficult at the get go; meanwhile, they introduce a lot of new gameplay techniques I’ve never seen in this genre. Sure, I could be 100% wrong because I’m not an expert in the field. Still, so far I’d recommend the game if you’ve got some points to burn.

Besides this, I’ll probably play some Bejeweld Blitz on my iPod and call it a day.

Erik Norris: My gaming schedule this weekend is looking pretty damn light, to be honest. I finished up Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood’s campaign (awesome, btw) and have been dabbling in the game’s multiplayer. Surprisingly, I’ve been digging the cat and mouse nature of the competitive mode. It’s odd playing a game versus other people where the best strategy is to casually walk around and blend. But it’s a welcomed change of pace from all the rifle fire, explosions and strongly expressed expletives you get from most online games.

I also plan to dedicate some time to the XBLA arcade, namely Super Meat Boy. It’s been a while since I last masochistically tortured myself, so I think I’m ready for another round. I’ve had the itch to revisit Meat Boy, Bandage Girl and Dr. Fetus ever since I saw the CD case for the game’s official soundtrack. Yea, amazing.

And finally, as much as it pains me to admit this, I still haven’t played the second downloadable episode of Alan Wake, “The Writer.” For a self-proclaimed “Waker,” it’s embarrassing. So with all the down time before reviews start piling up, finishing Alan Wake’s journey into the heart of darkness sounds like a pretty good (terrifying) idea to round out my weekend.

Joey Davidson: I’ve got one review to finish this weekend, and it’s LittleBigPlanet 2. So far? The game’s pretty sweet. Media Molecule raised the bar on themselves here, and I honestly cannot wait until the community gets a hold (beyond the beta) of the level building tools.

Aside from Sackboy? Not much for me. I’ll probably take regular breaks in order to rule over my kingdom in Fable 3. The game has become more challenging than I ever expected it to be. I thought I’d just be hacking and slashing my way to glory while buying different houses and courting foxy ladies. While there is that, there’s also this extra fold of moral ambiguity. It’s interesting, making decisions that further bankrupt your county, but it’s also stressful.

Not sure if I like that or not yet. I’m finding I may be more fond of Fable’s whimsical moments than its stress inducing moral calamities.

Michael White: Who makes plans for other games when there is World of Warcraft to play? Luckily my guild raids on weeknights so I have the weekends free to expand my horizons and/or get obscenely intoxicated (like that’s never happened on a weeknight or during a raid). Unfortunately for me there is no Rift Beta event happening this weekend.

I will of course be writing and working my day job but I’m even more excited to go down to Rehoboth Beach on Sunday for a dinner hosted by Dogfish Head Brewery. Other than that my time will be split between PvPing in Rated Battle Grounds and feeding my insatiable Zuma Blitz addiction. I curse and thank PopCap for instituting the new “life” system which limits how much you can play in one sitting.